


What a Waste to be so Alone

by vivaciousIncarnate



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hope's Peak Academy (Dangan Ronpa), F/F, Gay Chabashira Tenko, Hope's Peak Academy, Lesbian Celestia Ludenberg, Lesbian Chabashira Tenko, Lesbian Character, Trans Celestia Ludenberg, Trans Female Character, also tenko is autistic because i say so thank you, kind of a songfic but not really, more than one ;)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:53:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27844042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivaciousIncarnate/pseuds/vivaciousIncarnate
Summary: Tenko Chabashira and other lesbians at Hope's Peak Academy. If you like DR WLWs, lolita fashion, pride, angst, love triangles, self-discovery, autistic Tenko HCs, trans Celestia HCs, calling out the idol industry's problems, and Tenko, this is for you.To any lesbians who have had a much longer journey with themselves than necessary, felt pushed out in community spaces, couldn't find their flag at a pride booth, fell for a straight girl, or have lowkey been in love with their entire friend group: this is dedicated to you.
Relationships: Tenko Chabashira/Celestia Ludenberg
Kudos: 21





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This was originally going to just be a really long oneshot, but some scenes have been giving me hell, so I figured I should go ahead and throw something out there. Second chapter will be out before the end of this week, it just needs some editing and a few more details. Thanks for clicking, and I hope you enjoy this bit! I'm sorry it's so short :(

“IT’S! NOT! FAIR!!” The loudest girl on the playground stomped her feet and crossed her arms at her poor teacher. Her friends cowered back away from her, one of them crying. There was another boy knocked onto the mulch, holding his wounded nose.

Tenko Chabashira, age 6, had just knocked the lights out of one of her classmates. It wasn’t undeserved in her mind, however--he had been chasing around and grabbing one of her acquaintances. She saw from her solitary bench him yanking her hair and pretending to pull her somewhere. Her friend looked terrified and had been yelling. So, she got up from her spot and taught him a lesson! She thought she needed to intervene since none of the teachers happened to notice. She thought they would be grateful for what she did! But now one of the recess monitors stood over Tenko, hands on her hips, and told her what she did was wrong.

Because the boys were just playing.

It only ever stopped being a game when she retaliated.

Her teacher leaned down and grabbed her arm. Something ignited in her brain and started screaming as static filled her head. She tried to wrestle out of the grasp, but she was much too small.

“Life isn’t fair, sweetheart. We’re gonna call your parents to come and pick you up.” She was picked up like a sack of potatoes and went from screaming to shrieking. She cried loudly as she was dragged back into the school building. Her brain started to buzz and a headache was about to come on for her and everyone in her vicinity.

And that was the last time she was removed from her classmates.

Looking back, she didn’t know why that was the final straw. She had hit several of her peers before, so this wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Maybe her parents just knew it was time, time for her to try something brand new. Maybe fate had finally decided it was her "darkest hour", even as a kindergartener.

Or maybe it was just chance. Fate never seemed to want its hands anywhere near someone so enraged, for fear they would be bitten off. No one in the universe did. It was for everyone’s own safety that she never made friends. It was for everyone's own safety her parents had to sit her down and have a chat with her a few nights later. It was for her own safety she packed up her bags and went on a nice drive up the beautiful mountains and never drove back down. It was for her own sanity she was left there.


	2. Evergreen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again! This chapter is a LOT longer I swear. Next one should be a pretty short wait as well! Hope you enjoy <3

7 years later

  
“Do you have the list with you?”

  
“Yes!”

  
“And your phone?”

  
“M-hmm!”

  
“What about some water? You should take some water, just in case-”

  
“Master, I’ll be fineeeeee!” Tenko already had one foot out the door, itching to head to town.

  
“Okay…” He hung his head in that ‘my baby is all grown up’ way. “Just PROMISE me you’ll have your phone on-”

  
“Yepsureokaybye!” Tenko threw out before closing the door behind her and booking it to the path down the mountain. She was being sent out to run some errands in the town below, the first time she’d been around people aside from her Master in a while. How long had it been since she had been out? She wasn’t sure, but it was definitely the first time she had been out ALL BY HERSELF! This was truly exciting, the mark of adolescence, going somewhere without your guardian. They had gone out as a pair before, but she had trailed behind, not able to take in all the sights she wanted to, since her Master was quite a fast walker. She had a big smile plastered onto her face as she sped through the woods and down to the city below.

  
It was a quaint mountain town, but there were so many people out and about! Tenko gawked for a bit at the busy crowds, then reminded herself of her responsibility. She was here on a mission! She took the list out again, and read:

  
-Stamps from the post office  
-4 mangoes and some apples from the market  
-A formal blouse  
-You can get a treat from the bakery when you're done :)

  
Tenko gathered her courage, breathed in the promising air, and began to look for any sort of signage as to where anything was.

  
The day felt like a nice dream. Everything felt kind of hazy as she wandered from destination to destination, taking in all the sights and people around her. She wanted to stay there forever after being trapped in the temple for so long, but she did her job diligently as promised. However, she tried on one shirt in the clothes shop and was hooked. It took all of her willpower as to not stay there for hours on end, changing, spinning around in the mirror, and then repeating. She took the simplest blouse she could find, held her posture for a few seconds, and resisted the urge to jump for joy seeing herself in the mirror.

  
A few hours later, she finally had everything she needed and was thinking about going home, but what was the rush? The sun was still high, she could stay out a while longer. She kept going up and down the streets of her town, window shopping at every single opportunity before she heard something.

  
A muffled sound came from her right. She turned and saw it led into an alleyway between buildings. She saw some movement near the end before a turn. She slowly crept up towards the end and observed. She could hear the voice of what sounded like a woman and a man, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. There were some more murmurs. She kept listening, but kept her head hidden behind the wall. Eventually, the man stopped talking, there was a muffled noise and the sound of something dragging. That’s when she leaped out from her spot. The woman was kicking her feet and yelping while the guy had his arms around her waist.

  
Tenko had always heard men were violent. They wanted to hurt. It was just something they did at every point in their lives. She heard that over and over and over from her Master and here was the proof yet again, right in front of her eyes. It was like every other time she had been with her Master, undeniable and real. It was up to her now, a baton tossed her way. Some dormant part of her had opened its eyes and was baring its teeth at the sight in front of her.

  
“HEY!” She got LOUD, because that’s what her Master told her to do. Get loud, take up space, push them out.

  
“Ah, fuck.” He let go of the woman’s arms and put his hands up. She quickly got up and was about to run, but then saw Tenko and stood next to her.  
“I’m gonna leave now, so let’s all take it easy, alright?” He said, trying to placate the two. He had this sleazy grin on his face that indicated even in this early hour, he was likely not sober. Tenko couldn’t let this person go unpunished. All it took was chance for her to be here-who knows what he could have done had she not shown up?

  
So, she did what any good, honorable Aikido master would do.

  
She went for the nuts.

  
His knees buckled and he yelled loudly. Tenko backed up, grabbed the woman’s hand, and started running. She dodged all the corners she passed on the way there, and kept going even when they were out in the open. As far away and as safe as possible. When they reached a more open spot, she tried her best to control her breath as the woman caught hers.

  
“I appreciate your help, darling!” The woman patted Tenko on the head. Tenko wanted to scream at the thought of someone touching her, but she grinned and beared it.

  
“No problem! It’s my duty as an Aikido master!” She held up her fist in a heroic pose and gave a winning smile. The woman beamed at her, then her eyes widened.

  
“Oh! You’re the student Matsui is training! Have you ever thought about competing in the local martial arts event?”

  
“WE HAVE THAT?!” Tenko yelled excitedly. She saw the woman jump back, then took a breath to calm down. “No, I hadn’t considered it! It sounds cool though!”

  
“I think you should try it! You’ve been there for so long, I think you’d have it in the bag.” Tenko beamed at the compliment, then asked a couple more questions about this event.

  
“Well, thank you again so much for today! I truly do appreciate all you’ve done.” The woman turned away and waved. Tenko waved back, then started to make her way home for good.

  
As she was alone once again, the light feeling in her heart started to fade away. Her chest felt heavier with every step she took and the newfound excitement began to flicker out. That scene began replaying in her mind. She considered every possible, awful outcome as she trekked up the mountain path with her bags in tow. It was like her mind was dissecting the scenario bit by excruciating bit, over and over again. She tried to move her thoughts to somewhere else, anywhere else, but they wouldn’t budge. She was stuck in quicksand, struggling to get out and the more she tried to escape, the further down she went. The walk home was so, so much longer than she expected.

  
"Oh, thank goodness!" Her Master cried out as he went to greet her at the door. "How did it go? Did you get lost? Oh, I should have given you a map..." He hung his head dejectedly, then put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm so happy you made it back."

  
Tenko worked up the energy for a weak smile. She felt like she could fall asleep on the spot, having walked up and down a mountain. "I did everything I needed to." She held up her bags.

  
"Wonderful! I'm glad you were able to see people without many problems." He took another look at her things. "Did you not go by the bakery?"

  
"No, of course not!" She exclaimed. "You always said sweets would make my muscles weaker. It was a test, and I passed!" She grinned at her own accomplishment. Her master stood in silence for a moment before putting his head in his hands.

  
"That's...hmm, never mind." He sighed again and took the things from her hands. "Go get ready for bed."

  
"Yes!" She trudged to her room and started looking for her pajamas. Her Master pondered for a moment as he went to go get ready for bed himself.

  
"What can I do now..." He wondered to himself as he looked out onto the view of the mountain. The sun was setting into the ground, slowly taking all of it's light with it until nothing but a heavy darkness remained.

  
Tenko began to go out more often after that incident. She would beg her Master to let her grab some food, clothes, or even just to be around other people. He made jokes that now that she had a taste for the outside, she’d be flying away pretty soon. She laughed, but assured she would keep her feet planted on the ground. If she flew, she would never see the horrid things happening right in front of her. Things she could prevent. Things she could stop. The damages that could be caused if she wasn’t there at exactly the right time. With all of her strength, it was her responsibility to protect the women who lived in the town as her. It was in her power. It was what she needed to do.

  
And so it continued. She would keep checking that one alleyway, but then found some others as well. She began to learn the ins and outs of her hometown fairly well, searching for any scum who would dare to lay their hands on a woman. She stopped quite a few potential incidents with her brute force, her biggest victory being against a group of 6 when she was 15. But there was always something bugging her at the back of her head-what if something happened while she wasn’t there? Those thoughts kept her awake at night, tossing and turning and wishing to be stronger. So powerful she could split herself in two. Powerful enough to hold the entire world in her hands.

  
Tenko wanted the power of a god.


	3. Pavement

Tenko’s eyes shot open seconds after her alarm went off. She threw her blankets off vigorously, slammed her fist onto the OFF button, and hustled to her closet. Her special new outfit had been hung up separate from the rest of her clothes, nicely ironed and ready to go. The pleats were crisp, and the bow on the chest large enough to catch anyone’s eye.

  
What was the special occasion? Her first day of real high school! After years of becoming known for her actions around town, she finally worked up the courage to join one of the martial arts tournaments. Her methods were a bit different from the traditional practice, but she had caught the attention of a talent scout. She asked her how old she was, her guardian’s name, and some other things. She had received a letter from Hope’s Peak that summer, saying she was welcome to join their 10th grade class! She and her Master had celebrated joyously, and prepared her for her new life. She had to learn some tough academics to make up for her time lost in school, but she was confident she could make it in Hope’s Peak. She had absolutely all the confidence in the world as she cracked an egg into a pan heating on the stove.

  
“Morning, Master!” She shouted as he emerged from his room. “It’s the day today!”

  
“Is it actually?” He said with a yawn.

  
“I got breakfast!”

  
“Oh, okay…You have everything ready, right?”

  
Tenko flipped the egg off the pan and straight into her mouth. “Mhmm! Mhmhghgh!”

  
“Does that mean yes…?”

  
“Absolutely! I’ve trained for this day!” Tenko yelled as she threw her fist into the air. “I’ve done all I can for now. The only place I can move now is forward!”

  
“You’re right, you’re right.” He sighed as Tenko grabbed her bag by the door and gave a thumbs up to him.

  
“All ready to go! And I know where the stop is!”

  
“Okay, Iloveyouandimproudofyoubesafebye!” He yelled as Tenko waved and shut the door behind her.

  
The wind felt fresh and light in such a unique way. It felt like the day was hers, even though it had only just started. Tenko took a short minute to stretch out her legs, take a deep breath in, and focus on heading down to her train station.

  
The train ride passed almost too quickly, Tenko staring out the window the whole way. She would get to see this beautiful view every day from now on! She smiled at the thought, and was disappointed when her station was called. The map given to her led to the absolutely massive building that was Hope’s Peak. She stood wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the sheer amount of incredible students in the windows and passing by her to head to the entrance. She referenced her map again, and began to head to her classroom.

  
The inside of the school was just as gorgeous as the outside. The floors had been polished to perfection, various artworks hung on the wall, and the students talked among one another. Tenko’s heart began to beat faster as she saw just how many people were in the school. She used that nervous energy to follow her directions and make it to the sanctuary of her desk.

  
Her classroom had only a few students in it already, some in desks and some waiting by the door. There was a large window on the side opposite of the entrance, where she scrambled to farthest away from the crowd. She cursed herself a bit for her vibrant fashion choice-who knows what her peers where thinking? She sighed, sat down in the desk furthesr to the back, and looked at the view below. She was able to see all of her stunning new classmates from a birds-eye view. More students began to file in as she people-watched from her perch, only stopping once she saw what looked like her teacher enter the room. She said something, but was drowned out by the noise of small talk. Her new instructor had a smile as bright as the sun, and slammed her belongings onto her desk to get her student's attention. Her smile grew a little more bitter as the chatter continued on.

  
“HELLO!” She yelled. The class slowly quieted down bit by bit. “I’m Miss Yukizome! I believe we’re going to have a great year this year!” She clapped her hands together and continued on. “Now for introductions, starting from my left! When it’s your turn, state your name, ultimate, and a fun fact about yourself.”

  
Tenko recalled the many guides she read about going to school for the first time, and began to go over them again as the students in front of her rose, gave their information, and took their seats after. 'Make sure to remember their names…' She thought to herself. "Well, I only need to remember the girls' names. So we have Mahiru, Toko, and… Sayaka in my row!' Sayaka was right in front of Tenko, and had just finished her intro. Tenko leaped up as fast as she could, and yelled:

  
“GOOD MORNING! I’m Tenko Chabashira, the Ultimate Aikido Master! My fun fact is…” She paused. All that time and she still hadn’t thought of a singular fact? How shameful!

  
“I uh...I grew up in the mountains! With my Aikido Master!” She stood there for a while, then gave an energetic bow.

  
“Well, that was quite a vigorous greeting! Next, please!” Tenko fell into her seat, embarrassed by her display. At least some of the other kids were weirder than she was. Someone went on a spiel about his powers of darkness, and another went into elaborate detail on his animation process. She silently thanked those two for being more memorable than she was. Once it was lunchtime, Tenko remained in her seat and started browsing on her phone, propping her arms on her lunchbox.

  
“Excuse me…” She looked up, and a few of her classmates stood in front of her. She remembered their names as Sayaka, Kaede, and...ew. Ryoma, she remembered against her will.

  
“Could we sit with you?” Sayaka asked. “We want to make new friends!”

  
“Really? Why?” Tenko asked, putting her phone down.

  
“You seem really sweet! I love your energy.” Kaede said as she pulled up a chair and sat down without waiting for a response. “What’s it like being an Aikido master? Do you need to eat a lot?”

  
“Uhhhh….” Tenko hid her lunchbox behind her back. “Maybe?” She waited for others to take out their food before taking out hers. What counted as ‘a lot’?  
“If you don’t have enough, you can always take some of mine! I’d even feed you some if you wanted.”

  
“Wait, really?!”

  
Kaede recoiled a little. “Well, I was kidding… but sure! If you want.”

  
Tenko had new energy as she took out her lunch with confidence. She already had a new friend, one who offered to feed her! Is this what high school is like? High school is great!

  
“So…” Sayaka leaned in close to Tenko. “Have you seen any cute guys yet?”

  
“WHAT?!” Tenko yelped and choked on her apple slice. She coughed violently for a few seconds before turning back to Sayaka. “None of the boys here could even BEGIN to be described as ‘cute’!

  
“Really? I think the brown haired one in Class C is pretty nice on the eyes, y’know?” She giggled a bit and sighed dreamily. “Do you have a type? I have a great intuition, so I bet I could spot any kind you’d be interested in.”

  
“Absolutely not! I wouldn’t trust any man even if he was the very last one on Earth.Besides, my Master told me that boys would drain my Neo-Aikido power, and they’re gross too! You know how many of them-”

  
“I GET WHAT you’re saying-” Sayaka yelped to interrupt. “So you don’t date because you’re focusing on your Neo-Aikido?”

  
“Yep! Gotta keep my head sharp.”

  
“I would never want anything like a boyfriend either. They take too much time, and idols aren’t supposed to date anyways.”

  
“Neither of you really want ANY sort of high school romance?” Kaede asked. “You’re both so serious about your talents. Maybe if I focus more on piano, I could go even farther with it too, y’know?” A silence fell over the quartet as they ate their food.

  
Tenko shifted her gaze to Ryoma. He had his hat down to where she couldn’t see his face, though he was still too short to be able to make eye contact anyway. She kind of wanted him to look up just so she could glare at him. Kaede’s voice broke her focus.

  
“I’m kind of worried about our science class now… in middle school I never did well.”

  
“Don’t worry about it! My Master told me that if you work hard, you’ll always be rewarded!”

  
“My manager likes to say things like that too! Although, our success may come in different forms…” Sayaka said.

  
While the three chatted about small things and got to know each other, the warning bell for the end of lunch rang, and students began to hustle back into their designated classrooms. Ryoma finally opened his mouth to speak:

  
“I admire your optimism.”

  
Tenko’s face went completely blank. Her faint smile had dispersed into the void. She opened her mouth and said:

  
“Don’t compliment me, degenerate.”

  
“Tenko!!” Kaede yelped at her, then turned to Ryoma. He sighed and pulled his hat over his eyes.

  
“It’s fine, I guess...I can eat somewhere else tomorrow…”

  
“Oh Ryoma, don’t say that!” Kaede patted him on the back and he grumbled a few more self-deprecating things. “How about tomorrow we talk to the baseball guy? You’d both have playing a sport in common!” The two walked away to their own seats, leaving just Sayaka and Tenko.

  
“You did mention you grew up in the mountains, right?” Sayaka asked.

  
“Yep!”

  
“With only your Aikido teacher?”

  
“M-hmm! Why do you ask?”

  
“No reason, I just wanted to clarify.”

  
Sayaka turned to her seat and began preparing for the next lesson. Something about Tenko bugged her. Maybe it was her years of idol experience, receiving weird emails and disgusting things in the mail and terrible handshakes. Something that made her heart ache and realize sometimes, she did want to be just as cruel as Tenko just was. Not that Ryoma deserved it. But to those who did.

  
An idol is pure. An idol is sweet and gentle and soft. Her hands are to be clean and moisturized and perfect for shaking a fan’s hand and saying “Thanks for coming to the show!”. She is to remain calm when she can smell alcohol on someone’s breath and hold their hands just a little bit tighter so they can’t grab her. Her coworkers taught her that, keep their hands on yours so they can’t put them anywhere else. An idol stays calm. She is poised and has the posture of a goddess. And above all, she is never, ever enraged. At least, not where her fans can see her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen I just love the idea of Kaede latching onto the nearest emo okay. Next chapter should be out in like 1 or 2 weeks, that's where I've been hitting a MASSIVE roadblock. After that updates should be pretty quick!
> 
> {I know this is a long-ass intro but i SWEAR things kick up next chapter! There'll be some action I promise ;)}


	4. Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First off-super sorry about the formatting issues in the first few chapters. I'm new to AO3 so I gotta figure out what all the buttons do. Second, I apologize if any characters who make a cameo in this chapter seem OOC. This chapter was really hard to write for some reason.
> 
> Third, since this is a multi-chaptered work now, I'm gonna make it a bigger story than it was originally planned to be! There's gonna be some angst, even more lesbians, more lolita fashion, pride, self-discovery, and most of all, more Tenko because she deserves it. Buckle up WLWs we really in it now
> 
> (ALSO CELESTE WILL BE HERE NEXT CHAPTER. SHE IS COMING I PROMISE)

Tenko’s rather uneventful first day had ended just as peacefully as it started. She had gone home, talked with her Master over dinner, then made sure to get a great night’s sleep. She spent the next two days learning as much as she could, both about her subjects and her classmates. During lunch, she would listen to people talk about music and TV and whatever they had for homework that night. Kaede and Ryoma didn’t talk to her again, but Sayaka was kind enough to turn her desk around for the two of them to eat together. 

The Thursday of that week seemed to be shaping up to be just the same, but there was a mechanical roaring sound outside that caught her attention. Yukizome saw her lean over to look, then motioned for her to move back as she went to investigate herself.

“Oh, Mondo is causing a fuss again…” Chisa closed the blinds completely and sighed.

“OOH, what’s happening outside?!” A student with bright, multicolored hair bounded over to the windows and peeked through the blinds. “WHOAAA! That’s a lot of bikes!” 

Chisa yelped at the intrusion. “You aren’t in this class! Shoo!” She took her planner and waved the student out. Those who did belong to her class all took the chance to see what was happening below. Tenko leaned over as another kid lifted the blinds up for everyone to see. There were several motorcycles parked below the school, their owners leaning back onto them. All of them had some sort of jacket on their back or tied around their waist. They had surrounded the main entrance in a semicircle, their leader standing in the middle. Tenko couldn’t see his face beyond his giant hair.

“Who is that?” Tenko asked to anyone.

“Th-that’s Mondo Owada…” Toko answered her from a few seats in front of her. “He’s the U-ultimate Biker Gang leader. Don’t know why such a vulgar talent was accepted here.” She bit her nails as she spoke, her eyes fixed on the sight below. 

“FEAR NOT, MY COMPANIONS!” A voice came from behind, everyone turning to see who it was. “I assure you, I will handle this precarious situation. Me and my four Dark Devas of Destruction will put and end to-”

“What you will ALL do is stay right in this classroom! Let the adults handle this!” Yukizome yelled as she hustled out the door. The one getting ready to put on a show chuckled as he escorted himself to his seat. Tenko could hear yelling from below, but couldn’t make out what was being said. Varying thoughts swirled around her head. 

_ What should I do?  _ She considered if she could even do anything at all. She had stopped many who would dare disrupt the peace of her town, but this was a whole other ballpark. Would she be reprimanded for trying to solve this issue on her own? What would her peers think of her? Would they find her silly for trying to play a hero? Would she be hated or shunned?

She dispelled all of those thoughts as her head settled.  _ What do I *want* to do?  _

_ I want to stop him.  _ She said to herself without missing a beat.

_ So do it. _

Tenko jumped out of her seat and hurried to the stairwell. A few other students were already going down to see whatever would happen in a clash between this mysterious gang and the poor staff. She hurried past them and bolted once she saw the entrance. There were already some spectators trying to see what these intruders would do. She pushed past two and ran right into the fray.

The center of the disruption was another student with a jacket that fell to his knees and hair to  _ die  _ for. He was scowling and cracking his knuckles. He was probably the Mondo Miss Yukizome was complaining about. He was obviously the leader, both by his gait and his positioning in the middle of the rest of the bikers.

“Oh great, another one.” He groaned at Tenko as she put on her game face. “Why the fuck are you in my face?”

“I could hear you all the way from the second floor! Why on earth are you…” She looked around at the bikers before realizing the person she ended up next to. She was slightly taller, had silver hair that glistened slightly, and was holding a rather large sword. It was at her side, but had a firm grip on it. Tenko lost focus on what she was doing and continued to stare at this girl until she responded to her.

“You don’t need to stay here, I can handle him.” She said. Her voice was calm and stable despite being in a precarious situation. 

“CAN YOU HANDLE ALL OF USSSSSS?!!” He threw his arms out to showcase the other biker gang members standing around him. Some of them revved their engines and glared. 

“I most certainly can. I’m confident it would be quick.”

“Why are you doing this anyway?” Tenko asked. “Did you just wake up and feel like being a nuisance today?”

“TODAY’S QUIZ DAY!! My bro has an exam this morning, so I’m here to SHUT IT DOWNNNNN!!”

“You’re just here because… your friend had a test?” Peko asked. 

“HELL YEAH I AM!!” Mondo crossed his arms again. He looked like he was about to yawn. “Since everyone’s down here, nothing can happen in class!

“Are you here with the intent of causing a distraction?” Peko asked. “If you want an entertaining fight, I will not give you one.”

“Well obviously I can’t hit one of you two! My mom would kill me!”

“So what? You’re planning on threatening some teacher?” Tenko asked, still in her combat position.

“I’m gonna...uh…” Mondo looked around at his buddies, all of which either looked away from him or shrugged. “We’re gonna… FUCKIN’ RIDE! AROUND THE SCHOOL! YEAH!” he roared. The crowd behind began disappointedly murmuring as the likelihood of a fight plummeted.

Peko put down her sword and her head in her hands. “It seems like force will not be needed.” She picked her sword back up and was about to tell Tenko to let her handle it, before Tenko stomped forward.

“You’re causing trouble for the rest of us, though!” Tenko crossed her arms. “How are we supposed to do anything with you yelling out here and making a scene?” Mondo looked like he was about to say something, but Tenko put her hand up. “I’m not done yet! Do you really think it’s honorable for you to come up to school making a racket because your buddy couldn’t be bothered to do his work? How do you think the rest of us feel?”

Mondo scratched his head. He was about to take the silence as an opportunity to answer before Tenko started up again.

“But no, you don’t think about how the rest of us feel! In fact, I don’t think you think at all! Do you wanna know why I think that? Because you’re a slimy, grotesque, degenerate-”

“MONDO!” A student yelled from the viewing crowd. He was wearing an extravagant purple jacket that billowed out behind him as he strutted right up to Mondo. “What the hell are you doing, man? I told you not to do this!”

“Kaito!” Mondo got up from his bike. “I wanted to help you!”

“Well you’re too late. I just finished my test before coming down here to see what was happening. Why would you ask me if I wanted this if you were going to do it anyway?”

“I-mmh.” Mondo shrugged. “Look man, I thought-”

“You thought wrong! I may not study, but my cramming skills are the very best!” Kaito smacked Mondo on the back. “Do I look stupid to you?”

“No…” Mondo had quieted down as Kaito laughed. 

“Maybe I should be the one tutoring you! I saw how you did last year. After all, Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars, must be someone his friends can look up to! Now how about you come back inside?” Mondo nodded as he began to walk his motorcycle to the bike racks, Kaito at his side. 

“Well, that was certainly simpler than I thought it would be.”

“All in a day’s work!” Tenko said as she turned to the swordswoman. Peko had such piercing, serious eyes, intensified by the fact that she was holding a weapon. Tenko watched as closely as humanly possible as Peko put her sword back in her sheath with both precision and strength.

“You’re really pretty!” Tenko blurted out. Peko’s eyes widened, and she smiled a bit.

“I appreciate the compliment, and the assistance as well. You would be a valuable training partner. Your courage and prowess are that of an expert.”

Tenko couldn’t stop smiling after that. She had gotten a compliment from such a beautiful, smart girl! It was everything she could have wanted from her time at school. She giggled and waved her hands in the air. She turned back to see all of her peers, who had just watched her feat. One of them started clapping and cheering, and everyone else began to join in. Tenko beamed at the praise, and bounded back into the school with the brightest feeling she ever had.

The rest of that day, she had gotten compliments from students all over the school, telling her how grateful they were. Some even applauded her bravery, saying that she was bold for backing up Peko. 

The next morning, the excitement around the incident died down, and Tenko even saw Mondo walking into the school building. She wanted to give him a nasty look for daring to interrupt class, but couldn’t see past his hair. She mourned her loss as she opened her locker to put her bag in.

There was a note on her shelf. It had a red stamp on it’s envelope, with an elaborate marking. She tore it open quickly, and pulled out the formal stationary.

_ Good morning. _

_ I would like to discuss something with you. _

_ I would appreciate it if you met me in the courtyard, on the bench in front of the largest oak tree. _

_ I hope to see you there- _

_ -C.L. _


	5. Jet Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so! i've had most of the story already written up until this point, so every new chapter is going to be written from scratch from here on out. and also i gotta map out everything. hope y'all like sayaka because she'll be playing a bigger role than she was originally intended to.

No name, only initials left behind.Thoughts swirled in Tenko’s head. Was this her very first high-school confession? Or someone looking to challenge her? She held the letter up to her chest, and started peering around for anyone who may be looking her way.

Everyone else was simply absorbed in their own world. Some students were talking amongst one another, others passing through after getting their stuff, but nothing out of the ordinary. The mystery made it that much more exciting! Tenko made her plans, put the letter in her shirt pocket, and went along with her day. 

She sat fairly unfocused in her morning classes. She was only brought back to reality as she was called on to answer something about molecules. Tenko, honest as she was, stood up and said she hadn’t heard what was asked. It was only the second week and Chisa already had severe eyebags developing. 

The lunch bell rang, and Tenko jumped out of her seat, skipping as she went to the courtyard. Under the suggested meeting place sat who Tenko recognized as the Ultimate Gambler. She had become known in Hope’s Peak for her extravagant dresses, catching the eyes of all the students. She looked up from her lunch and gave a polite wave to Tenko.

_It must be her…!_ Tenko felt her face redden and her heart beat faster. _NO! Don’t assume anything. This is probably something else. Who’d confess to you anyway?_

“I’m delighted you chose to come.” Celestia rose from her seat and shook Tenko’s hand. Tenko could only make some vague affirmative noise in response. The two went to a spot in the shade. “Did you bring any lunch with you?” She asked. 

Tenko shook her head rapidly, she knew she was too nervous to eat. “No! I want my full attention on you.” 

“Your bravery yesterday was quite admirable. It truly takes someone courageous to stand up to so many biker gang members."

"That's so kind of you..." Tenko giggled and blushed. "Did you need me to actually fight someone?"

"No, my apologies. This is going to sound odd and specific…” Celestia lowered her head. “When you said Peko was pretty yesterday…” She took a deep breath in. “How did you mean it?”

“She’s just so gorgeous!” Tenko answered, already swooning yet again. “I would want to fight alongside her again. She has such grace when she walks, and holds her sword like it’s so light...but it’s a SWORD! It’s gotta be really heavy, since it’s made of metal...I’ve only ever practiced with wooden swords, but I think a real one would be cool too!”

Celestia giggled, but Tenko could feel some strained energy behind it. “I really don’t wish to be hasty, but…” She put down her utensil and began to fidget with her dress. She leaned in close, and Tenko moved in too. She just felt drawn to this girl’s aura. 

“Are you a lesbian?” Her voice dropped in volume near the end.

“What’s that?” Tenko asked. Celestia’s eyes widened a little, then returned to normal. Her normal expression was restored, and her hands went still.

“It’s a girl who only likes girls.”

“Oh! Well, yeah!” Tenko replied enthusiastically. “I didn’t know there was a word for that.”

“Ah, I see.” She made a point to take a while chewing her food. The two sat in silence as Tenko waited for a longer response. 

“To tell you the truth…” Her hands, perfectly manicured and maintained, started shaking again. “I am as well.”

“Hehe, well of course! You seem like a smart enough girl to not trust any degenerates.” Tenko was sure the Ultimate Gambler would have quite the intellect! She must have to win so many matches. 

Celestia gave a tight smile. “That’s nice of you to say.” She continued eating her food, but then offered some to Tenko.

“Oh, really?”

“Would you be able to eat now that we’ve talked about what we needed to?”

“That was it?” Tenko looked confused. 

“Well, that was the primary reason…either way, I’m sure you need some protein as the Ultimate Aikido Master.” She held up a slice of ham on her fork and offered it to Tenko. She took it happily.

“So, to be absolutely sure you know what I mean…” Celestia appeared to shrink again, her voice weakening. “You want to be with another woman as a union, correct?”

“You mean like a wife? Yeah, totally!” 

“Ah.” Celestia exhaled, and let a weight off of her chest. “That is refreshing to hear.”

Tenko finished chewing, and turned back to Celestia. "Y'know, your fashion sense is incredible! So many ruffles and types of laces...no wonder people's eyes are drawn to you."

“I suppose we are both school celebrities now, for different reasons. You’ve done quite a feat for the sake of your classmates. I’m sure everyone will continue to applaud your courage.

“Everyone’s been so nice to me! I still feel kind of lonely, though…”

“You haven’t made any friends yet?”

“Well, only one in my class.” Tenko said with an embarrassed laugh. “I just...forgot to?”

“You have a phone though, right?”

“No social media on it! My Master said it’s addicting, so I only use it for the internet and to play games!”

“Interesting.” Celeste took her own phone out. “Would it still be okay to exchange contact information?”

“Sure! What’s your number?” The two of them made a contact for one another and sent various photos to one another to make sure it worked.

The warning bell began to ring, and Tenko sighed disappointedly. Celestia stood up, dusted off her skirt, and prepared to bid adieu.

“You may call me Celeste. We are friends now. Although…” She gave a small, yet genuine smile.

“If you’d like to give me another nickname, I would happily take it.”


	6. Corners

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long story short i had my first finals week as a junior. during a pandemic. i had 2 exams immediately the day after the capitol riots, one with 122 questions(chemistry) and the other with a time limit of 25 mins(french). and now i have to retake the french one. believe me, i would rather be writing.
> 
> Anyways! This chapter gets into the lolita stuff. This chapter's guest star was pretty fun to write! I liked her a lot before. uh. 
> 
> The next one is almost all done, but might take a week or two while I'm working out school stuff.

Sunday morning, Tenko was up and at ‘em at 7, ready to train her body if she couldn’t train her mind. She had been exercising for at least an hour and was cooling down as she got a message from Celeste on her phone.

_ Good morning _

_ I understand it’s early, but would you like to meet someone else today? _

_ I was planning on making a dress with a friend, but I’m sure she would be fine with a guest. _

“HEY MASTER!” She yelled. He wasn’t actually up yet, but certainly was after her shouting. “CAN I GO OUT TODAY?” She could hear him get up and fall out of bed from the kitchen. He stepped out of the door, nodded quickly, then went right back to bed. Tenko beamed as she texted Celeste for planning.

An hour later, Tenko was standing in front of Hope’s Peak Academy, but on a weekend. The school was empty, and most of the doors she had tried were locked.

_ Go to the one on the side of the building _

_ Which side?  _ Tenko had replied.

_ Hang on, I’ll get you. Wait in front of the main entrance. _

A few moments later, Celeste was waving Tenko into the secret entrance. The two of them passed through the empty, silent halls before arriving into the only room with noise coming from it. It was the textiles room, with several large tables with sewing machines on them. It’s single inhabitant was in the farthest corner of the room, sewing something carefully while a heap of fabric was thrown to the opposite side. She had long blue hair and was wearing a weirdly elaborate colorful costume. 

“Tsumugi? She’s here.” Tsumugi looked up quickly to wave before putting her focus back on her sewing machine.

“Did the fabric come in?” Celeste asked. Tsumugi nodded and pointed in the general direction of a storage closet. Celeste opened it, shuffled around, and pulled out a nicely-folded, dark blue sheet of fabric. “Thank you for printing this for me, I do appreciate it.” A thumbs up thrown in her direction. Tenko could make out various stars and other astrological bodies and planets spread across what little of the sheet she could see.

“Whoa, this is so pretty!” Tenko said. “Where did you find this?”

“I produced the design myself, actually. It started as a quick sketch in a notebook, but I liked the idea and asked Tsumugi to make it into a reality.”

“You can print stuff onto fabric?”

“You can do anything if you know who to call!” Tsumugi yelled from the other side of the room. She stood up and gave a warm smile to Tenko. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Tsumugi Shirogane.”

“Tenko Chabashira.” She replied before turning back to Celeste. “So you said this was for a dress?”

“Yes, actually. Specifically, a ‘classic lolita’ dress. Normally I don’t wear ones with colorful patterns, but I decided to make an exception to try something new.” She explained as she began to pull out sewing materials. She grabbed a dress form and a petticoat from the storage closet and moved around Tenko as she talked. 

“What’s a ‘classic lolita’ dress?” Tenko asked.

“It’s a fashion style!” Tsumugi yelled excitedly from the other side of the room. She hustled over to Celeste and began to dig through the storage closet with her. “There’s sweet lolita, classic lolita, gothic lolita, hime lolita-oh here’s the pattern folder, it had sunk to the bottom-and some others too!”

“My usual attire may indicate I fall within gothic lolita, but I have a fondness for elegant colors as well.” Celeste said as took out some pattern pieces and sighed. “I’m going to need to spend all day just making sure everything is on-grain…”

Tenko’s head spun at the new words being thrown at her, and decided to step back from whatever Celeste was doing. She watched as she delicately lined up her pattern pieces, measured them, then saw Tenko staring.

“Do you know how to sew at all?”

“Nope! But watching you do it is nice.”

“Hmm.”

Tenko turned around from Celeste to go bother Tsumugi, who was pinning some lace onto an elaborate piece with pom-poms hanging off of the skirt.

“Whatcha doin?” Tenko asked. Tsumugi gasped in surprised, backed into a dress form behind her, and went tumbling to the ground. She quickly picked herself up and dusted herself off.

“I’m so sorry! I had no idea you would even pay attention to me…” She shook her head ashamedly. “I mean...I blend so perfectly into the background.” 

“Not at all! Your hair looks so pretty!” Tenko assured her. “It almost looks like candy.”

“You’re much too kind to me...really…” Tsumugi went back to pinning, looking more confused than shocked. Tenko couldn’t see her face down in the fabric and continued on. 

“But really, what are you doing?” She asked again. 

“Making a cosplay.”

“Ohhh, that’s so cool! Do you have a convention coming up?”

“Oh no, I could never wear this!” Tsumugi waved her hands around panickingly. “This is much too flamboyant for me. The colors are all so eye-catching and there are so many details…” 

“But you would look so good in it! It would be a shame if it went to waste…”

“It won’t, I promise!” That caught Tsumugi’s attention. She looked absolutely horrified at the thought. “What kind of seamstress would I be if I let this just sit in my closet, collecting dust?”

“Why won't you try to wear it yourself? Is it made for someone else?”

“Well, no… not really. I just really wanted to make this outfit. It was too cute not too, but I’m sure one day I’ll find someone to pawn it off on. I’m just too plain for something so elaborate.”

Tenko felt the air settle onto her shoulders as she realized this conversation would just go in circles. She left Tsumugi to her own devices and went back to Celeste, who was still measuring patterns with precision. 

“So, what’s your deal with your fashion anyway? Do you also go to lolita type events?”

“Sometimes. I go to tea parties when I can. Tsumugi and I met at a convention, actually. She adored my outfit and kept insisting I start cosplay. That’s never really been my thing.”

“Do you ever get any weird looks at school? Some people are too judgy for their own good.”

“Lolita fashion is quite rooted in individualism, actually. Many of the styles are based around dressing for oneself, without taking note of any negativity happening around you.”

“You’ve gotten a lot of attention for it! But I get it, that’s why I dress like this!” Tenko stood up and twirled her double-tiered skirt around. 

“I do quite like standing out. It makes me feel bigger than I actually am.”

“The petticoat probably helps with that too!” Celeste giggled at that.

“Excuse me…” A new voice came from the door to the classroom. All three of them turned and saw Sayaka waving at them. She looked around before her eyes stopped on Tenko.

“Tenko! You’re here too?”

“Mhm! I tagged along with Celeste.” 

“That’s awesome! Celeste asked me to model something for her today.”

“You two know one another?” Celeste asked.

“Yep! Tenko and I sit next to each other, so we hang out during lunch.”

“Delightful to hear you’re both already acquainted. Sayaka, if you would…” She handed a bundle to Sayaka, who took it with her out to go change.

“Sayaka is so sweet. She’s so nice to everyone!” Tenko giggled. “How do you two know one another?”

“We… we met online.” Celeste said. “We had found one another on a forum about Hope’s Peak, and started talking about being prospective students.”

“How wonderful! Like it was meant to be!” Celeste blushed at that comment. 

“Yes, we have been close for a while now. It’s been nice to talk with one another both in school and online.” Celeste held her hands close to her chest. “I treasure her very dearly.”

“I’m back!” Sayaka entered the room with a flourish, startling Celeste. She was wearing a brown dress with soft draping in the front. Lace hung off of the bottom hem, and the blouse sleeves puffed out. “This fits so perfectly on me!”

“Well, the back is still untied, but I can do that.” Celeste and Tenko met eyes for a second, before Celeste smiled as she went back to the closet. “Tenko, you’re a C-Rank too, albeit a rather high one. If you would like to try on...this one, feel free to do so.” Celeste said as she took out a pink dress.

“C-Rank?”

“I rank those around me. Normally, new friends start out at D-Rank, but you… you fascinate me enough to be moved to C from the start.”

Tenko beamed. She had already received such an honor from Peko, but Celeste liked her too? She was on a roll!

“However…” Celeste’s expression darkened as she brought her face in closer to Tenko’s. “You must be  _ very  _ careful with this garment. It is delicate, and could tear easily. Should that happen, your rank would fall. It is an honor to be all the way at C-Rank, but that decline…” Celeste let the words hang in the air as she left Tenko with the dress in her arms. 

“Maybe I will another time…” She said as she put down the garment as gingerly as humanly possible. Celeste was putting a bonnet onto Sayaka’s head, then gently tying the bow on her neck.

“She's like a doll if you look at her face.” Celeste stood behind Sayaka in the mirror and cupped her chin. “It’s no wonder she’s an idol.”

“You’re too kind!” Sayaka laughed. “I’m happy to help out.”

“Sayaka, you have the perfect face for cosplay as well.” Tsumugi chimed in. “You manage to look amazing in any makeup look.” Sayaka laughed at the continuous praise. She looked over and saw Tenko spacing off. She thought for a minute on how to include her in the fun, then got an idea.

“Tenko, do you want to do a cosplay together?” Tsumugi asked. “I want you to join in the fashion fun too.”

Tenko's heart soared and a smile broke out on her face. “Sure! Who do you want to do?”

“Well, I’m almost finished with these two, I just need to put on the snaps…” She pulled out her phone and scrolled on it for a second before finding the picture. “So I want to be the redhead, and you would be…” She held the phone up to Tenko. It displayed a picture of an anime boy with bright blue eyes, white hair, and a devilish smile. Tenko nearly gagged at the sight.

“Absolutely not! He’s way too smug for a guy with the hair color of an old person.”

“Then would you prefer to be her?” She scrolled and this time held up a picture of a girl with bright red hair, wearing a shining white dress complimenting her green eyes. She was absolutely stunning. Tenko stood captivated by her. The art style was almost delicious to look at.

“So I could dress up as someone as pretty as her?”

“Of course! I could alter the costume I made to fit you. When you’ve been doing this for a while, it’s easy to find places where you can add and take away fabric.”

“She’s too beautiful!” Tenko pushed the phone away. “I couldn’t cosplay her!”

“But you could!” Tsumugi drew in closer to Tenko. “Is makeup the problem? I could share mine. Or even buy some more! And I would do it for you!” She kept walking closer to Tenko until they were almost nose to nose. 

“I don’t really like makeup… it feels kind of weird on my skin. Plus, what if I get acne?”

“We don’t even have to do foundation!” Tenko backed up until she felt her leg hit one of the tables. “I can just put on eyeshadow.” Tsumugi had completely invaded her personal space, and Tenko could see her individual pores now. Somehow that was the final straw, and everything in her surged up all at once. Her face burned and her arms shook with new rage.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” Tenko snapped. Tsumugi backed up instantly. Celeste and Sayaka politely looked away from the trainwreck. Tsumugi’s face all fell at once. It was like a dark cloud had appeared over her head as she looked at the floor. 

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” She muttered as she went back to her sewing machine. It seemed to hum a lot louder with the absence of voices. Celeste and Sayaka had gone silent. All they were doing was playing with the accessories. Tenko went to a desk, put her head down, and waited for someone to leave.

She was awoken by a shaking of her shoulder. She rubbed her eyes and saw her vision clear as she woke up.

“I’m heading out now.” She heard Celeste say. “Let’s leave together.” Tenko looked up and saw she and Celeste were the only two left in the room. She stood up, yawned, and followed Celeste out. The pair walked out on the sidewalk together. Tenko wanted to cry with all of the tension left in the air. 

“I’m sorry that you didn’t click with Tsumugi,” Celeste said. “I feel somewhat bad now...you’re both such intense people. I should have seen this coming.”

“Intense? She’s the complete opposite of intense!”

“Well, you’re not wrong. ‘Focused’ may be a better descriptor.”

“Seriously, how boring can you be? She doesn’t even want to try to become less… plain? How ridiculous!” She crossed her arms as she walked with Celestia. “She even picked a weird-looking character to dress up as.”

That was a lie. The girl she had shown Tenko had completely captivated her. The image of her gentle smile had been burned into the front of her mind, where she could keep it safe. She felt like cosplaying her would disgrace her, and replace that image in her mind with something much less lovely to look at. 

The entire experience hit her all at once. Her heart fell into her stomach as she realized she had only just met Celeste, and Celeste had known Tsumugi for much longer than she had. Sayaka had even seen her yell at Tsumugi. Maybe she would be left alone on Monday, eating lunch at her own desk messing with her phone. C-rank meant nothing if she wasn’t the favorite. She took a breath in as she realized she needed to make everything right again.

"Celeste, could you give me Tsumugi's number? I wanna tell her I'm sorry."

Celeste smiled. "Of course. Give me a moment." She took out her phone, hit some buttons, and Tenko felt her phone buzz. "There you go. I know she'll appreciate it."

Tenko was sick to her stomach. Her mouth was dry and her hands were shaking as she saw the number on her screen. She decided she would cool off during the walk home, and text her once she was home.

“Would…” Tenko stopped walking. Celeste took a few more steps before noticing her.

“Would you let me hang out with you again?”

Celeste smiled as she came back to where Tenko was standing. “Of course. Just say the word.”


	7. Walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a lazily thrown together chapter because school stuff happened and originally there was gonna be an aba flashback in the beginning of the chapter for tenko but then the "music" clips were released so i thought "alrighty, that's enough reliving for me!" i removed the sequence and scrambled together something focused on celeste rather than tenko. im sorry for the wait and i hope i still did her good

Tenko laid in bed, drifting between consciousness and sleep. Her muscles burned and ached from her regimen last night, and her head felt like it was being crushed. She had vague dreams of walking, falling, and waking up as soon as she hit the pavement. Her eyes felt heavy, but she couldn't be bothered to close them all the way.

It had been a week since the incident. Sayaka still talked with her at lunch, but Tenko felt more nervous talking to her now. Like she needed to be more careful, or else she would get too angry again. She had gotten home and immediately wrote her apology to Tsumugi, but hadn’t heard anything since. She replayed her message in her head again to review it for who knows what time. 

_ Tsumugi _

_ I’m so so so so sorry about today!!!!! _

_ I didn’t mean to get so mad with you _

_ I’m glad you wanted to do something with me, but cosplay isn’t something I like _

_ I hope you can forgive me D: _

She opened her eyes and rubbed her forehead. She had tried to justify it in her head, saying that Tsumugi was too pushy and too close and too loud. Tenko wanted to be friends with her, but she just kept going on and on about her cosplay. Maybe they were too similar to get along.

Maybe that was how other people saw her.

She shook the thought out of her head and picked up her phone for a distraction. She considered asking to see Celeste again, almost as a way to erase the last time. She wanted Celeste to know her as more than she saw last Sunday. She wanted to know Celeste as more too. She opened her messages and took the chance.

_ Wanna hang out 2 weekends in a row? Hope u don’t get sick of me _

And now here she was, in Celeste and her roommates’ apartment. Tenko was sitting on their couch, kicking her legs as she waited for Celeste to get their snacks ready. 

“I’m happy we get to spend more time together,” Celeste said from her kitchen. “...do you have a preference in tea flavors? Let me know, I’m happy to make anything.” She was rummaging through her cabinets and tossing out whatever packets she found onto the counter.

“No, whatever is okay!” She sat and took in her surroundings. It was sparsely decorated, aside from some artwork on the wall that probably came with the apartment. There was a hallway leading to the bedrooms behind her, the entryway to her right, and the kitchen to her left. “How come you stay here instead of at home? Did your parents make you move?”

“It’s closer to Hope’s Peak. And I wanted some more independence from my family.” She heard Celeste open the dishwasher, then sigh as she left the kitchen and went to one of her roommates’ rooms. She knocked on the door, and Tenko twisted around on the couch to see what was happening. She saw a girl with long brown pigtails, still in her pajamas, answer the door.

“I asked you to run the dishwasher last night.”

“I let you know I had to do something before I left.”

“Oh really? And you couldn’t have just pressed the button beforehand?” 

“I had a sudden job last night. I came back late and was tired from it, so I just went to bed without taking a shower.”

“You aren’t sneaky. Mikan told me you showed up this morning.” Tenko heard the roommate groan. Celeste leaned into the roommate’s personal space, and their voices dropped too low for Tenko to hear, no matter how hard she tried to eavesdrop. There was an annoyed groan before the roommate flipped her off and slammed the door. A tension was left in the air as the door’s echo faded.

“Goodness. Someone isn’t a happy camper.” Celeste went back to the kitchen to look around in the cupboards. “We won’t have the cups I wanted. I hope the backups are okay.”

“I won’t be picky. Do your roommates mind me being here?”

“No. Maki was still asleep, the other one is in our room, and the last one is out right now.” Tenko heard Celeste running water into a pot. “I told all of them you would be here, though.” Not even a second after that sentence, Maki came out of her room, backpack on her back, and barely passed Tenko on her way out the door. She whisked to the entryway, crouched down, and started looking through the pair of bags sitting by the door. The first she went rummaging through was what looked like a medical bag, which she energetically looked through. She took out some equipment, what looked like a clipboard, a few boxes of various bandages, and a jar full of who-knows-what, which she winced at before putting everything back into the bag. She moved that one out of the way, and Tenko got a better look at the one behind it-red and black with decorative chains on it-obviously Celeste's. Maki unzipped the bag, which caught Celeste's attention.

“MAKI!” Celeste yelled from the kitchen and ran to the door. It was the fastest Tenko had ever seen Celeste move, and for one instant, the most undone. “Do  _ not _ mess with my things.”

“Would you chill out? I’m looking for my glasses.” 

“Did you check your own stuff?” Celeste's voice seemed to be more casual now, even though she was stressed. Tenko couldn't place it, but she sounded...off.

“Obviously. I’m just making sure you didn’t put them in your purse on accident. Can you not be weird for one minute?"

"You don't deserve it after you didn't do your chores." Celeste put her hand in a karate-chop motion and lightly bonked Maki on the head. "Do you even need them?"

"Not really. I can see fine enough." Maki looked over at Tenko and winced. "Sorry about this." She gave a wave before heading out the door. Celeste sighed as she went back to the kitchen and began running water into a pot. She took the pot over to the stove and began to let it boil.

"It won't be too long. How's school been for you?"

"Fine! I've been studying really hard so I can keep my brain in top shape."

"I'm happy to hear that. It's good to know I was right about you."

"Huh?" Tenko paused. "What did you think of me?"

"You're energetic, for one. That's a given. You're passionate, you wear your heart on your sleeve, and you're headstrong."

Memories of last weekend flashed through Tenko's head. "Is that...is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all." Not a single beat missed, and Tenko's doubts were shot down. "You have something you love dearly, a love that shines even amongst the brightest stars of our nation." Celeste crossed her arms and smiled. "I have an admiration for the students who are so endlessly devoted to their skill. I gave you C-Rank because I believe you will live up to that."

"Aren't there other people who love their talents? I mean, the whole school is kind of based off of them..."

"Of course. Some become good at what they do because they love it, and because they want to. However..." Celeste sighed. "Unfortunately, that is not the case for everyone. Some are just born with skills no one else has. Some just got lucky with their families. Some needed to learn from circumstance, much like two of my roommates did. Not everyone can be as firey as you." She made eye contact with Tenko. "You're special in that sense. That's why I like you."

Tenko flushed and looked away. She started fidgeting with her hands as she thought of a response.  "What about you? Do you like gambling?" She asked. 

"I was born with quite a lot of luck. That in itself can be considered a talent I was born with. But I do like winning." Her voice faded for a second. 

"I'm the luckiest girl in the entire world." The stove timer went off, and Celeste jumped. She turned back around and poured the water into the teacups. "Well, we need snacks too." Tenko heard Celeste laugh from the kitchen and some packages being unwrapped. "So here's our coasters..." Celeste brought two embroidered coasters and the tea to the living room before turning back to the kitchen. "And here's the final touch." Tenko turned around and saw Celeste holding what looked like a cookie tower. It had three tiers, each with a different flavor on it.

"We get to have a dessert tower?!" Tenko started bouncing on the couch excitedly. Celeste grinned and placed it down on the coffee table before getting distracted.

"Hang on, I don't know if Mikan ate breakfast this morning. Give me a second." She took one cookie off the tower, went into the hallway behind Tenko, and knocked on the door to the left. Celeste held a cookie in front of the door as it slowly opened. Tenko couldn't see who Celeste was giving it to before she gingerly stuck her head out of the door. She had serious bedhead and looked like she was about to cry.

"For-for me?"

"Yep. I figured you didn't eat this morning."

"I forgottttt.... I was busy studying..."

"I figured. Do you want to come and say hi to Tenko? She's here."

Tenko saw her poke her head out to look at her, then frantically shake her head before going back into her room. Celeste shook her head.

"She's shy." She came back to the couch and sat down next to Tenko.

"So, did you want to talk about anything special?" Celeste asked as she sipped her tea and smiled. "I did good, if I say so myself."

Tenko took a minute to think about small talk topics. An image of a middle school Celeste popped into her head. 

"What were you like before Hope's Peak?" She asked. Celeste sighed, and she immediately felt her heart drop. She was about to tell Celeste to drop it before she went on.

"My junior high experience was..." Celeste's eyes drifted away. "It could have been better. That was around the time when I was still getting used to wearing lolita around. I was still shy, so it was a lot harder to deal with people's gazes." Tenko nodded as she listened. "Some were so rude to me, saying I was trying too hard. One even said I could never fit." Her hands balled into fists, and Tenko cursed herself.

"But I got better with it." Celeste's hands relaxed and she cupped them together. "I did everything in lolita. I went to school, I started gambling seriously, and after a while it didn't matter what anyone else thought. I did whatever I pleased."

"That's amazing." Tenko marveled. "You're so strong for going on with it even after others were laughing at you.

"Of course. I value self improvement. After graduation, what-" She was interrupted by the sound of someone entering the apartment. The door opened and light spilled into the living room. Tenko turned around to meet the final roommate. Her jaw fell open and she nearly dropped her teacup as her eyes locked onto the girl. In the door was Peko, in a sports bra, exercise shorts, and her hair up in a high ponytail. She closed the door behind her and took her shoes off. Tenko turned rapidly to Celeste, hands shaking so hard her tea was about to spill out of her cup. Celeste gave her a wicked smile and a wink. All of her breath left Tenko’s body as she avoided looking at Peko. She mouthed _Why didn’t you tell me?!_ as loudly as she could while staying silent, and Celeste just sipped her tea. 

“How’s your day been?” Celeste asked Peko.

“Fine. I’m going back out, Aoi just got off work and wanted to go running together.”

“You certainly have stamina. How far did you go just now?”

“4 miles.” Tenko was head over heels. “But Aoi wants to bike. She found a nice trail near her house.”

"How nice." Celeste's eyes were back on Tenko, who was absolutely fixed on Peko's every movement. Peko looked up from the entryway and smiled at Tenko when she recognized her.

"Good morning. What brings you here?"

"Uhh... Celeste! We're having tea!" Tenko gave a thumbs-up as her cup shook. She held it behind the couch to hide. "You uh-you live here?"

"Yep. I have a room with Maki over there." She pointed as smiled as she went to her room and shut the door behind her. Tenko leaned over the table and whisper-yelled to Celeste:

_ "Why didn't you tell me you lived with her?!" _

_ "Surprise."  _ Celeste laughed under her breath. Tenko was as red as a tomato and gulped down her tea as fast as she could before slamming her cup down. 

_ "You are so mean." _

_"I know."_ She had the biggest smirk on her face. They both moved back into place as the door opened yet again, and out came Peko with a shoulder bag. Tenko grabbed several of the cookies off of the tower and shoveled them into her mouth as she avoided looking at Peko. She sat perfectly still as she heard her put her shoes back on and exit the apartment once more. Tenko sighed as she finished chewing.

“Let's get back to it. Will you continue being an aikido master after our time at Hope’s Peak?”

Tenko glared, tried to argue, then actually thought about the question itself. She hit a wall in her head before answering. “Well…” She looked down. “I’m not sure, actually. I don’t really know what I want to do after this. I’ve never thought of what I wanted to do as a job.”

“You being there means you are set for life. Everyone who goes there ends up with a job and a family, living a happy, wonderful life.” She thought for a minute. She never knew what sort of happy future looked like for her, but lived in the moment instead. She was happy as long as she had her Neo-Aikido. 

“What about you? What does your future look like after high school?” Tenko asked. “Do you want to get married and have kids?” Celeste smiled warmly and looked into her teacup.

“Not children, no. But a spouse… “ She took a drink. “If I did have a wife, I would spoil her. I want to come home with something every single day. Maybe flowers or something good for a meal, you know? I want to make her so happy.” As she went on with her ideal, her posture seemed to soften. Her shoulders relaxed as her eyes drifted off into a daydream and a small smile ever-present.  Tenko nodded enthusiastically as she listened to Celeste’s fantasy. It was a future with extravagant chandeliers, huge ballrooms, and appropriately-dressed servants. That snippet made Tenko jump back.

“Euck! You WANT a bunch of men standing in the same room as you?”

“If they are at my beck and call, then yes.”

“They’ll ruin your good luck! If you’re around too many guys at once, you won’t be able to win against someone in a gambling match.”

Celeste paused and put her teacup back on it’s coaster. “I appreciate the advisory. However, I am quite confident in both my luck, and my skills.” She smiled in a way that blocked any further questions. Tenko felt as though a wall had suddenly been put up between the two. Only thing left to do-punch it back down again.

“Ah, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that!”

“I understand what you meant. Also, you seem like a good person. I’m certain it was not meant maliciously. My apologies for talking about myself so much. I got a bit carried away.”

“No, you’re fine!” Tenko assured and checked her phone for the time. “I should probably get back, or else I’ll be too tired to run up the mountain home.”

“Oh, before you leave…” Celestia got up and began rummaging through her bag. “We should play a game. What’s a short one we could play…” She began to tap her finger on her chin.

And there went Tenko’s attention span. “Can we play Go Fish?” She asked, her panic gone. Celestia looked Tenko right in the eyes. Tenko stared back into the red abyss. Celeste sighed exasperatedly and put her head in her hands before mumbling:

“I will get Go Fish.”


End file.
